Rubber heel



March 11, 1941. J; F, ANDERSON 2,234,542

- IRUBBERVHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4, 1939 (O 2g. 7d

f I N VEN TOR. 7272 'fifizdansozz,

A TTORNEY March 11, 1941. J, F, ND RSON 2,234,542

RUBBER HEEL Filed Dc. '4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v" 'i r IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUBBER HEEL John F. Anderson, Chicago, Ill. Application December 4, 1939, Serial No. 307,497 Claims. (01. 3636) This invention relates to footwear and" has Figure 13' is aview similar to Figure 12 but special reference to a rubber heel and means for showing the plate flattened. detachably securing it to a shoe. Figure 14 is an inverted perspective view show- One important object of the invention is to ing a fourth form of the invention.

5' provide a novel heel and fastening or securing Figure is avertical section on the line 15-45- means-therefor wherein the parts cooperate to of Figure 14. hold the heel in place mechanically and without In eachlof the forms of the invention here the use of adhesives, nails, screws or other ar- I shown, there is illustrated the rear portion of a rangements more or, less permanently securing shoe llihaving a sole H. At the heel of the shoe, the heel. there is secured to the underside of the sole II,

A second important object of the invention is a plate I2, having the usual horse-shoe shaped to provide an improved heel and'fastening which outline to conform to the shoe heel. This plate may be assembled'by hand: without the use of is permanently fixed to the sole II by any suit-. tools. able holdfast means, such as are here indicated Athird' importantobject of the inventionis to by the clinched nails l3. Around the curved provide a novel'arrangementgof means to prevent portion of the plate periphery extends an upaccidental displacementof the heel from the standing andinwardly turned flange l4. Carried shoe. by the underside of the plate is a headed secur- With the above, and other. objects in, view,. as ing rib indicated in general at l5 and the details will presently be apparent, the invention, consists of which are best seen in Figure 9. As there, in general of certain novel details of construcshown, the rib has a base member Hi, from which tion and combinations of parts hereinafter fully extends a stem IT carrying a head IS, the upper described, illustrated in the accompanyingdraw surface ofwhich is bevelled anticlinally from the ings, and particularly pointed out; in the; apcenter line. The rib thus has a section similar pended claims. to a railroad rail or a collar button. The rib In the accompanying drawings, like characextends substantially parallel to the flange I 4, ters of reference indicate likeparts; in the several but terminates, as shown in Figure 4, in spaced views, and relation to the forward or breast edge 19 of the Figure 1 is a perspective view of: a portion of plate I2. The rib may be integral with the plate a shoe with the improved heel applied thereto, or may be welded orotherwise secured thereto. the view showing the underside of the shoe. In the form of the invention shown in Figures Figure 2 is a section on theline 2-2 of Fig- 1, 2 and 3, the rubber heel is of the usual genure 1. eral shape, but around the sides and backof the Figure-3 is a pe spective view of the heel reheelextendsa groove 21 for the reception of the moved and partly broken away, the view showing inturned edge of the flange I4. Also, the heel is the upper surface of the-heel. provided with a horse-shoe shaped slit 22 which Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a securing extends from the top faceof: the heel toward plate used in this invention. the bottom face thereof but terminates in spaced Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to Figure relation to said bottom face, This slit 22 also 1 u w a modified orm of h invention. terminates at its ends in spaced relation to the Figure 6 s a SectiOIl 0f t e modified form simiforward face or breast 23 of the heel so that the lar to Figure 2. slit 22 conforms in location to the rib.

Fi u e 3 Section through the ub heel In using this form of the invention, the rubber on the line 7-7 of Figurefiheel issimplypositioned with the top'edge of the Fi ure 8 is a plan view of azserrat d'p e u rib l5, registering with the slit 22, and the heel in the modified form, I

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-section of acertain rib used herein.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a in the modified form.

Figure 11 is an inverted perspective view of a third form of the invention.

Figure 12 is a vertical section on the line l;2-..I;2 of Figure, 11 and showing th Plate used, in; this form in, its arched positiQn;

is done, the inturned, enters the groove 2|. The rib I5 enters the slit 22 and compresses the rubber between the flange l4 and the rib, so that the engagement between the flange and the heel is highly. effective. Also, the head l8 of the rib assists materially in seplainv plate used engages in the spacesbetween the head 18 and base-I6 at each side ofthe web H.

is then pressed firmly onto the plate l2. As this portion of the flange 14V curing the heel in placesince the elastic rubber with said rib.

the junction of the In the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 8, the rubber heel 24 is of horse-shoe shape, thereby leaving a space between the arms, so that not only is efliciency against slipping effected, but economy of cost in material and manufacture is also obtained. As in the first form, this heel is provided with a groove 25 and a slit 26. A groove 21 is also formed on the-inner sides of the legs of the horse shoe, the ends of this groove terminating in spaced relation to the breast ends 28 of the rubber heel 24. This heel is applied as before, but due to its horse-shoe shape, the rubber between the rib l5 and the space within the horse shoe would tend to spring away from the rib l5 and thus the heel would not be properly and securely held in place for use. Accordingly, to prevent this loosening action, a spreader plate 29 is provided, which fits at the side and rear portions of its periphery in the groove 21 and forces the part of the heel lying inwardly of the rib l5 outwardly into firm engagement In order to prevent accidental release of the plate 29 by forward movement, it is preferred to provide forwardly facing serrations 30 on the sides of the plate. To enable the plate 29 to be manually removed from the groove 21, a finger hole 3| is provided in the plate.

In each of these forms, a worn rubber heel may be gripped by the fingers and removed, a pry of some sort being used, if necessary. In the second form, the removal of the plate 29 may be first efiected by inserting a finger'in the hole 3| and pulling forwardly. If this is done, the

I rubber heelwill be easier to remove.-

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13, there is provided a metal plate 32, which may be secured to the shoe sole II as by holdfast means 33, as shown in Figure 12. Obviously this plate may be similarly secured to an upper heel portion for high-heeled shoes, such as are worn by women.

The plate 32 is provided at its sides and rear with a flange 34, having at its free edge an inwardly projecting bead 35. In this form, there is used a horse-shoe-shaped rubber member 36, having the portion next the plate 32 rabbeted, as at 31, and provided with a groove 38, so that the member 36 may fit snugly within the space bounded by the flange 34, while having its exterior side and rear face flush with the exterior surface of the flange 34. The inner side of the member 36 is rabbeted at the portion remote from the plate 32, as shown at 39. This provides an inwardly extending shelf-like portion 40, and at portion 40 and the vertical face of the rabbet, there is provided a groove 4|. A normally arched or bowed spring metal plate 42 is of such dimensions as to have its side and rear edge portion rest on the shelf 40, free from the bottom of the groove 42 is flattened, as in Figure 13, its side and rear portions engage the bottom of the groove 4i and tend to spread the member 36 outwardly so as to hold it firmly in position against the flange 34, with its outer groove 38 engaging over the bead 35, thereby preventing disengagement of these parts. In order to flatten the plate 42, a screw 43 is carried by the plate 32 and extends through an opening in the plate 42, so that a nut 44 may engage on the screw at the side of the plate 42 remote from the plate 32. Rotation of the nut from the position shown in Figure 12 to that shown in Figure 13 thus ,flattensthe plate 42. With the plate in this flattened condition, it presses strongly against the portion 40 4|, but when this plate of the member 36 and serves as an added means v for holding the member 36 on the plate 32.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 14 and 15, the metal plate 32 is also used, but in place of the horse-shoe-shaped member 36, there is provided a heel-shaped rubber member 45 having a substantially central wall or recess 45, formed in its bottom face. An opening 41 leads from the center of the recess 46 and opens through the top face of the member 45 to receive the screw 43. A washer plate 48 fits in the recess 46 and the screw 43 passes through the washer plate and carries the nut 44 as in the previous form.

The exterior of the member 45 is rabbeted at 49 and grooved at 50 as in the preceding form.

It will be noted that both the plate 48 and the plate 42 constitute retaining plates, screw held to the metal plate or base plate 32, and that they both rigidly resist inward flexure of the outer sides of the rubber members just as do the ribs 15 and plate 23 or 29'.

By removing the nut 44 in either of these forms, the plate may be removed from the screw and the sides of the rubber member flexed inwardly to free the member from the flange, thus permitting a new rubber member to replace an old or worn member.

It is to be understood that the attachment may be attached to high heels, such as used on ladies shoes in lieu of being attached directly to the rear or heel end of a shoe.

What is claimed is:

1. A renewable heel structure including a plate adapted for permanent/attachment to the underside of a shoe at its heel portion, a flange extending from the periphery of the plate at the sides and rear thereof and having an inturned free edge, a rib on said plate substantially parallel to said flange, a rubber heel of substantially the same outer contour as the plate and having a peripheral groove wherein said inturned edge engages, said heel having a slit to receive said rib, said rib constitutingmeans to compress the rubber against the flange, said rubber heel having a forwardly opening gap between its sides and the wall of said gap being provided with a groove at the sides and rear of the .gap, and a spreader plate fitted removably in said gap to engage in said groove; I

2. A renewable heel structure including a plate adapted for permanent attachment to the underside of ashoe at its heel portion, a flange extending from the periphery of the plate at the sides and rear thereof and having an inturned free edge, a rib on said plate substantially parallel to said flange, a rubber heel of substantially the same outer contour as the plate and having a peripheral groove wherein said inturned edge engages, said heel having a slit to receive said rib, said rib constituting means to compress the rubber against the flange and having a shank provided with a head of greater width than the shank, said rubber heel having a forwardly opening gap between its sides and the wall of said gap being provided with a groove at the sides and rear of the gap, and a spreader plate fitted removably in said gap to engage in said groove.

3. A renewable heel structure including a plate adapted for permanent attachment to the underside of a shoe at its heel portion, a flange extending from the periphery of the plate at the sides and rear thereof and having an inturned free edge, a rib on said plate substantially parallel to said flange, a rubber heel-of substantially the same outer contour as the plate and having a peripheral groove wherein said inturned edge engages, said heel having a slit to receive said rib, said rib constituting means to compress the rubber against the flange, said rubber heel having a forwardly opening gap between its sides and the Wall of said gap being provided with a groove at the sides and rear of the gap, and a spreader plate fitted removably in said gap to engage in said groove, said spreader plate having forwardly facing serrations at its side edges.

4. A renewable heel structure including a plate adapted for permanent attachment to the underside of a shoe at its heel portion, a flange extending from the periphery of the plate at the sides and rear thereof and having an inturned free edge, a rib on said plate substantially parallel to said flange, a rubber heel of substantially the same outer contour as the plate and having a peripheral groove wherein said inturned edge engages, said heel having a slit to receive said rib, said rib constituting means to compress the rubber against the flange and having a shank provided with a head of greater Width than the shank, said rubber heel having a forwardly opening gap between its sides and the wall of said gap being provided with a groove at the sides and rear of the gap, and a spreader plate fitted removably in said gap to engage in said groove, said spreader plate having forwardly facing serrations at its side edges.

5. A renewable heel structure including a plate adapted for attachment to the under side of a shoe at its heel portion, a flange extending from the periphery of the plate at the sides and the rear thereof and having an inturned free edge to seat in a corresponding channel in the heel, and means cooperating with the heel and exerting a lateral pressure in both directions from the longitudinal centerof the heel to interlock the heel and the inturned rib, said means interfitting with and actually engaging within the heel in its operative position.

JOHN F. ANDERSON. 

